UFC flyweight Mariya Agapova’s manager is denying allegations made by former American Top Team teammate Maryna Moroz that Agapova was forced out of the gym due to bizarre and dangerous behavior.
The allegations were made in a recent interview with MMA Vestnik (translated by Sport-Express.ru). Moroz accused the 24-year-old prospect of drug abuse and making threats against teammates at the gym.
In response, Agapova’s manager Alex Davis issued a statement to MMA Fighting where he vehemently denied the allegations made against his fighter, adding the former Contender Series veteran is now healthy, happy and training for her return to action.
“Mariya went through some difficult moments,” Davis explained. “She was all alone [in the United States], but now she’s been through therapy, she’s much better and she’s already training for a fight. It had nothing to do with drugs. Absolutely nothing.
“This is Mariya’s private life that we’re not going to make an issue to make her private life public. She came to the states from Kazakhstan, she went through some difficult moments, she had some crises, she got therapy, she’s doing very, very well now. She’s already training for a fight. There’s no drugs. It has nothing to do with it.”
It’s not clear what prompted Moroz to make the allegations against Agapova. In the interview with Sport-Express.ru, she indicated her former teammate’s personal and professional life was out of control.
“She says, ‘I don’t have money for food, I don’t have this. Oh, help,’” Moroz said. “She wrecked her car in a drugged state. All in all, a very interesting person. She got kicked out of two gyms, and at American Top Team she threatened the guys, and it was caught on camera. She was under the influence of drugs, she threatened the guys, and she was kicked out of the gym. Because she was threatening to stab and so forth. Also stalked the wife of a fighter, who is pregnant — she also threatened to stab. In general, the police called her four times already here. She broke the doors. And that’s it — Mariya Agapova, the UFC junkie.
“Many tried to help her get out of the hole into which she kept climbing, climbing. She came to training after the club, after all these drugs. Her pupils were dilated all the time. And when the coach said that I needed to stand in a pair with her, I replied that I could not work with her — she was insane. She behaves inappropriately. She can swing her elbow to hit you, then say ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t understand.’ Just an inadequate person. And yes: she was kicked out of the gym because she behaved inappropriately.”
Agapova first came into the spotlight this past June after she made an impressive UFC debut, dispatching Hannah Cifers with a first round rear-naked choke submission that earned her a Performance of the Night bonus. Unfortunately, after a strong start against Shana Dobson in her next appearance, Agapova ultimately suffered a second-round TKO after she exhausted her gas tank going for a finish earlier in the fight.
Following that loss, Agapova had to undergo surgery for a torn ACL in her knee, but she’s now targeting September as a date for her return to action.
A quick look at Agapova’s Instagram account shows that she’s been training at MMA Masters since at least May as she looks to bounce back from the loss in her previous fight and the knee surgery that followed.
MMA Masters, which is also based out of south Florida, boasts an impressive roster of fighters including former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington as well as top prospect Miguel Baeza.
Agapova recently posted a photo to her Instagram showing her training alongside American Top Team boxing coach Gabriel de Oliveira.
While Agapova has teased a September return, no fight has been announced yet for her by the UFC.